Author's Note

Wow you guys, I really wasn't expecting all the positive feedback on this story. I'm honestly so surprised by how the ratings went.. XD I'm really glad you all like it!

Also, I'd just like to say that things will start going into much darker themes later on. >.<

Her Thirteenth

I'll Wait For You
Ink Mage

Chapter Two
Age Thirteen

"This was an awful idea," Flurry Heart said as she looked at Crystal Hoof with a disappointed expression. Crystal Hoof mock gasped and put a hoof to his chest in fake offense.

"Are you saying my beautifully magnificent god-like haircut looks bad?" he asked with a teasing smirk. Flurry Heart shrugged, running a hoof through the colt's mane and grimacing. Crystal Hoof sighed. "Okay yeah, it is pretty bad."

"Not to worry, I'm sure Mom can do something," Flurry suggested. Crystal Hoof nodded, inching out of the large chair he was put in. He looked over to see her standing by the array of different scissors and brushes. "Or... maybe I could do something else to make it look better. It's always worth a shot."

"No!" Crystal Hoof said quickly, not wanting his mane to look even worse. "I'm... I'm sure it'll look better in the morning."

Flurry Heart raised an eyebrow. "In the morning? Seriously?"

Crystal Hoof weighed his options. Of course, whenever he next transformed into this disguise, his mane would go back to normal. Though that wouldn't be the wisest decision.

"I could take some... mane growth repellent before bed?" he said, more of a question than a statement. Flurry Heart laughed, taking the apron off his chest and leading him towards the door.

"Right, right. You do that. If it works, I'll believe you," she said with a wink, exiting the bathroom and into the hallway. Crystal Hoof grinned, walking alongside her.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked playfully. Flurry Heart nodded, her nose pointing up as she failed to hold back snorts of laughter.

"And what if it is?" she asked hotly. Crystal Hoof chuckled, taking her hoof and twirling her around. He had been doing that a lot lately; grabbing her hoof at random times and spinning her around him. It felt nice.

"Then I'd be happy to oblige," he said, whisking her away. Flurry's long purple locks blew in his face as she stretched her wings and took off into the air.

"Come and catch me!" she yelled down at him, laughing at his shocked face.

Crystal Hoof gaped at her. "Hey! No fair!" he yelled, "I'm an earth pony!"

"So?!" Flurry exclaimed back. Crystal Hoof laughed, running after her till the two were in a high-speed race down the main castle hallway. Their hearts pounded as they tried to reach the end before the other.

Somepony suddenly walked in front of them, stopping abruptly upon noticing the two blazing figures coming their way. Shining Armor quickly ducked, sending Crystal Hoof flying in another direction and Flurry Heart gracefully landing besides him.

"Oh! Sorry Dad!" she said, brushing off some dust on her shoulder. She looked back and smirked in the general direction of the colt she was initially racing a few seconds ago. Crystal Hoof looked back at her with a glare. "Come on slow-poke! We still need to finish the race!" she yelled at him. Crystal Hoof broke into a huge grin, toppling back to his hooves and running towards her.

"And this time I'm not going to go flying off!" he shouted, streaming past her. Flurry gasped.

"Hey! You cheated!"

"Nuh-uh!" Crystal Hoof said as he reached out his hoof and touched the wall on the other side of the hallway. Flurry Heart breathed, flying into the air and making a bee-line towards him.

"Get over here!" she yelled angrily.

"Uh... yeah guys, I'm okay," Shining Armor said absentmindedly, walking past them without another word. He had a smile on his lips as he entered the kitchen. Cadance was already seated there.

"Any progress on the birthday party yet?" she asked in a hushed whisper. Shining Armor looked around him, checking if the coast was clear or not. Nopony was in sight, except a few stationary crystal guards. He nodded.

"Well, I've gotten her entire class coming, does that count?" he asked nervously, playing with his hooves. Cadance groaned, slapping her hoof on her forehead.

"Shining, babe, we've been over this. Invitations don't count as progress," she said. Shining Armor grinned sheepishly.

"Uh... oops?"

"Whatever. We'll just have to make do with what we have. I want to make this her best birthday yet," Cadance said. "She's turning thirteen! It's her first year as a teenager!"

"That didn't stop you from holding a giant party on her tenth birthday," Shining pointed out.

Cadance nodded. "Yeah! That was her first year in double-digits! You should know these things be now, Shiney," she said. Shining Armor sighed, draping a hoof around his wife and looking her in the eye.

"The next thing you know you'll be holding a party for her fifteenth birthday because it's one year before her sweet sixteen," he joked. Cadance looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh please don't tell me-"

"Hey that's actually not a bad idea!"

Shining Armor muttered under his breath. "And a lot of work too."

The day of Flurry Heart's thirteenth birthday arrived, and ponies were lining up outside the castle; most were Flurry's friends. The colts and fillies tumbled into the main hall when Shining Armor opened them and instantly started running around.

"Happy birthday Flurry," a light grey filly with a multi-colored neon mane said. Flurry grinned, taking the large bag that was offered to her.

"Thank you, Neon Garay!" she exclaimed, placing the gift on a nearby table.

"Happy birthday Flurry Heart!" A pink unicorn with a two-toned brown mane trotted up to her, placing a box in her hooves. Flurry smiled at the filly.

"Thanks, Ink Mage!" she said happily, trotting deeper inside the castle while her friends chatted among themselves.

"Say Flurry," a colt spoke up. Flurry turned around to look at him.

"Yeah, Electric Flame?"

"I heard some rumors," Electric started. Flurry frowned. Electric was known for believing everything that was told to him. The others around them instantly perked up.

"What? What kind of rumors?" Flurry asked suspiciously. "Whatever you've heard about Dad it's probably-"

"No no, it doesn't have anything to do with your father," Electric Flame cut in. Flurry raised an eyebrow. "Some folks have been saying stuff about... the residents of the castle. That... there's a changeling living here."

The entire hall went dead silent. Crystal Hoof's eyes widened as he lowered down slightly. Shining Armor and Cadance's jaws dropped, both their heads turning simultaneously to look at Crystal Hoof. Flurry Heart gaped at Electric Flare, though it seemed a little forced. She looked towards her parents, following their gaze.

"Whatever you've heard is a big fat lie, Electric," Flurry said bluntly. Ink Mage and Neon Garay instantly burst into fits of laughter, clutching their sides as they giggled endlessly.

"Psshhh... changeling?!" Neon managed to sputter out. Ink wiped tears of mirth from her eyes.

"You've got to be kidding! Everypony knows those things are just old stories. They aren't around anymore!" she exclaimed. "Oh my I really have to cover this one on the school newspaper."

"Enough," Flurry Heart cut in, looking towards her friends. "It's alright, Electric. You didn't know any better. Trust me... those rumors are just rumors. And they'll stay that way." Ink Mage and Neon Garay instantly sobered. Both shot apologetic looks towards their best friends; Electric nodded.

"Whatever... I should have known," he said, shrugging.

Cadance suddenly clapped her hooves, getting the attention of all the fillies and colts. "Right, now that that's been taken care of," she started, "who'd like some cake?"

There was a chorus of 'me!' throughout the hallway, as everypony scrambled to get a good seat in the dining hall. Shining Armor followed his wife, not missing the opportunity to glare curiously at Crystal Hoof. Crystal Hoof looked away, nervously biting his lip.

How had this happened?

"Alright," Shining Armor said, tapping the chair that Crystal Hoof was sitting in. "What happened out there?" Cadance shot a look of concern at Crystal Hoof. The three were now alone inside Cadance's office. The party had ended a few hours ago, and Shining Armor was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"I... I don't know how ponies found out! I just-" Crystal Hoof started, trying hard to recall any slip-ups he might have had throughout the previous weeks. Cadance cleared her throat.

"No. They didn't find out. It's just a rumor," she cut in. Crystal Hoof sighed, releasing his transformation. Thorax looked between the prince and princess desperately.

"Please, you have to believe me! I haven't told anypony! I swear!" he pleaded. Thorax didn't know what he would do if Cadance and Shining Armor decided he couldn't stay with them any longer.

"It's alright, Thorax, we know you didn't tell anypony," Shining Armor said, rubbing his temple. "Though I would like to know how this rumor started up in the first place."

Cadance nodded. "That's right. We need to know in order to make sure it doesn't come up again."

Thorax frowned. "But I still don't get it! Why do I always have to keep my transformation when practically the entire senior empire knows what happened all those years ago?!"

"Thorax, listen to me," Cadance said, grabbing his shoulders. Thorax winced against the older princess' gaze, but didn't say anything. "What would ponies think if they saw a changeling just cruising down the streets of the empire? You're right. Only the senior part of the empire knows... the ponies who have been around for eleven years. Not everypony has though, and we wouldn't want ponies running away after they've lived here so long," she explained.

"But I'm good! I won't hurt anypony!" Thorax reasoned. Cadance sighed.

"Thorax, I know that. Shining knows that, everypony here knows that. But tell me one physical difference you have with any other changeling," she said. Thorax sobered, hunching down as her words sunk in.

"You're right... I don't look any different from other changelings when I'm like this. The crystal ponies could think anything," he said. Shining Armor and Cadance both nodded.

"Correct," Shining Armor said.

"Is there anything I can do?" Thorax begged desperately. Cadance looked away.

"I'm really sorry, I know how much this must hurt you," she said softly. Thorax sighed.

"So not even Princess Flurry can know? Not even now?" he asked quietly. Shining Armor firmly shook his head.

"That'll be like we broke her trust. She... she isn't supposed to know. There's a reason why we worked so hard to try to get her to forget about you," he said. Thorax nodded.

"Alright. Whatever. I'm going to bed," he said, getting up and walking towards the doorway.

"Goodnight," Cadance offered.

She got no reply.